After the company’s stock peaked at around $700 in September–making it the biggest-ever U.S. company by stock-market value–shares have slumped for seven months, trading below $400 a share as of Friday. While the company appeared to be somewhat invincible only a year ago, a steady drumbeat of negative news and underwhelming financial results have dragged on the company. Analysts have cut their expectations for Apple’s results–due on Tuesday–amid growing concerns about weakening demand for iPhones and iPads and intensifying competition from Google Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co.

Apple is expected to post an 18% drop in earnings, despite an 8% rise in revenue, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

Exxon plans to boost its annual capital spending by $1 billion during the next few years and place emphasis on oil production over natural gas, in response to low natural-gas prices hitting North America. The company posted $44.8 billion in annual profits for 2012, second only to its record-breaking $45.2 billion in 2008, aided by cheap U.S. oil and natural gas unlocked by hydraulic fracturing. While that abundant supply undermined revenues from oil and gas sales, it padded the profits of the oil giant’s fuel-making and petrochemical plants.

The company is expected to post a 2% higher quarterly profit on Thursday, though revenue is expected to sink by 3%.

On Friday, the Commerce Department is scheduled to report its first reading on first-quarter real gross domestic product. Monthly data already available suggest a bounce in growth after the meager 0.4% annual rate posted in the fourth quarter.

The median forecast of economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires calls for real GDP expanded at a 3.2% rate last quarter. That would be the fastest pace since a 4.1% surge in the final three months of 2011.

Economy watchers think the economy is slowing this spring, but by how much is unclear. Additional data, including Wednesday’s durable goods report, should provide some clues.

Patriot Coal Corp. on Tuesday will ask a bankruptcy court to let it lighten its obligations to its nonunion retirees, part of a quest to bring labor costs to a more affordable level.

Separately, American Airlines parent AMR Corp. also on Tuesday will ask the Manhattan bankruptcy court to let it settle an antitrust lawsuit with the last two remaining defendants.

American had sued Travelport Ltd. and other global distribution system operators in 2011, accusing them of monopolizing the distribution of airline flight and fare information to travel agents, hurting American’s own booking system.